the high witch curse
by Starlight7
Summary: A new girl comes to hogwarts with greater powers than any ever before, an alternate 5th year please r+r!
1. A new girl

1 Chapter 1 The new girl  
  
Harry, Hermione and Ron sat gossiping about a new girl that had joined half way through the year.  
  
"Her hair is weird," Ron stated. Hermione frowned at him, but he was right. Her hair always seemed a different colour, depending on which direction you look at it.  
  
"I heard she's a really good witch," Hermione added.  
  
"Got some competition then, Herm?" Ron joked as Hermione pushed him of his stool. Harry sat quietly during their talk and just listened.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by Professor Dumbledore, who was standing up from the teachers table and began to make his bedtime speech.  
  
"I would like to introduce you all to Elle Peterson, who has recently joined are school, following an incident at her old one."  
  
Elle rolled her eyes at Dumbledore as the whole school turned to stare at her.  
  
"Off to your dormitories now! Sleep tight!" He finished and the hall began to file out and back to their dormitories.  
  
Harry overheard a few Hufflepuffs gossip.  
  
"Who is this Elle Peterson then?"  
  
"She's muggle born, I hear."  
  
"She doesn't even have a wand."  
  
Harry went to bed that night wondering about all the gossip he had heard that day until he finally drifted off to sleep.  
  
Harry and Ron met Hermione in the great hall in the morning,  
  
"So," Ron queried, "What about this Elle girl? Know anything extra about her?"  
  
"Maybe you should ask her yourself." Came a voice from behind him. It was Elle. She was bigger then him by a head and looked down on him angrily.  
  
"Nothing." muttered Ron as he sat down quickly on the Griffindor table. Harry and Hermione giggled as they sat down next to him.  
  
Hermione glanced behind her before she began, "Actually, I do." She cleared her throat. "Last night in our dorm rooms she didn't sleep at all and just stayed up reading."  
  
"She does sound like more competition," Harry said as Ron didn't look like he had quite recovered from his run in with Elle. Hermione glared at him.  
  
"I think she isn't normal." Harry stated. Ron's eyes widened with fear and Harry gulped as he turned around. Elle wasn't there and when he turned back Ron and Hermione were both laughing at him.  
  
2  
  
3  
  
. 


	2. A discovery

1 Chapter 2 A discovery  
  
Snape was usually moody in Potions that day and lectured the class on how to make a potion that would tell you if you had a poison in your drink.  
  
"Now get out your wands and stir the potions for three minutes." The class began to do so.  
  
"MISS PETERSON!!" Snape yelled across the room and the whole class turned towards her.  
  
"Where is your wand?" He shouted.  
  
"Don't have one," she sulkily answered.  
  
"Sit! You will not take part in my class if you are not properly equipped." He told her.  
  
"Whatever," she said as she waved him off and walked out of the dungeon.  
  
"GET BACK HERE NOW MISS PETERSON!" Snape yelled as he ran out of the dungeon after her.  
  
Ron turned round with wide eyes full of a new found respect for Elle. Harry smiled back at him couldn't stop himself from laughing. Hermione tried to look stern, but even she could stop herself from laughing out loud.  
  
Back in the common room that night, Elle was sat in the middle of the sofa reading. Ron sat on one side of her and Harry sat on the other. She glared at the both of them, "What do you want?"  
  
"I.um...just wanted to apologise for talking about you at breakfast this morning. I'm real sorry I just thought you looked real cool."  
  
The unexpected flattery threw Elle off course for a moment. She turned round to look at Harry who nodded his head in agreement.  
  
"Oh, ok." She said and turned back to her book.  
  
Fred and George ran into the common room, located Elle and ran towards her.  
  
"We heard that you ran out of Snape's dungeon and sent him flying into the wall." George stated, his voice full of excitement.  
  
"Good for you," she replied plainly and went back to reading her book.  
  
"Well?" queried Fred, "Is it true?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess" She shrugged as if it were no big deal.  
  
"Wow!" Ron squealed with delight.  
  
"You are like, a Griffindor hero!" George told her. She looked at him as if he were a maniac. "It's true. The whole of Griffindor hate Snape, don't we?" George asked the crowd that were now crowding around. All of them nodded and cheered in agreement. Hermione pushed her way threw the crowd and confronted Elle.  
  
"Hold on a minute." She began, "How could you if you didn't have a wand?" Elle laughed. "I don't need a wand. Stupid." No-one had ever called Hermione stupid before and her face turned red with anger.  
  
"Prove it." She said trying to hold back her anger. Elle sighed and stood up. She cracked her knuckles and drew her hands up to either side of her head. She concentrated and moved them up slightly. Hermione started to rise above the ground.  
  
"OK," Hermione said her voice slightly trembled with fear, "I believe you. You can put me down now." Elle smirked and dropped Hermione and walked off to her dormitory. Hermione dusted herself off and followed her.  
  
No one really knew what happened in the dorm that night between Hermione and Elle but after that they became the best of friends. 


	3. A surprise visit

1 Chapter 3 A surprise visit  
  
"Alrigh' now," Hagrid belted over the noise that filled his care of magical creatures lesson. Suddenly the class went quiet and all turned to Hagrid.  
  
"Now we're outside today for a very special treat." Hagrid informed them with excitement in his voice.  
  
Malfoy whispered something to a Slytherin girl next to him, who burst into giggles.  
  
"Hmmm," Hagrid frowned at them. "Anyways, we got a special speaker today." Ron beamed as though he knew who it was and Harry frowned at him, because he wouldn't tell.  
  
There was a loud fluttering above them and the class looked up. Above them was a golden ridge-back dragon and riding it was Charlie Weasley, Ron's older brother. The class gasped in awe because most of them had never seen a dragon before.  
  
Ron's grin widen even more and Harry looked at him and laughed.  
  
"Alright, Ron?" Charlie asked. Ron nodded and gave his brother a hi five. The girl Malfoy was talking to giggled again and Harry frowned at him.  
  
"Were gonna start by givin' Riska, 'ere a quick stroke," Hagrid said proudly, "Now ge' in a line. There, good."  
  
For some reason Elle wouldn't stroke the dragon.  
  
"Come on, Elle," Hermione encouraged her, "It's a trained dragon."  
  
"I just don't like dragons, OK?" Elle replied.  
  
"What's wrong with dragons?" Charlie asked her from behind her, Elle frowned at him, "Riska's a good girl." Elle sulkily stayed standing a decent way away from her. Charlie began pushed Elle towards Riska and she shrugged him off her. "Fine!" she glared at him, "I'll go stroke the stupid dragon."  
  
She walked over to Riska still glaring at Charlie, when the dragon stood up and bounded toward her. Elle stood still amazed as Charlie ran to stop the dragon, which was easily twice the size of Elle. The dragon stopped just in front of her and gave her a big sloppy lick. Most of the class giggled but Charlie was amazed.  
  
"How many times have you petted a dragon?" He asked, his voice full of excitement.  
  
"None, I've only ever seen pictures." She replied plainly. She class gasped in amazement. Hagrid butted in, "You got a natural talent, girl."  
  
"Now, the rest of you, this is so amazing because she has never stroked a dragon before." Charlie informed the rest of the class.  
  
"She's probably lying," Malfoy added. The Griffindors frowned at him and the Slytherins laughed.  
  
"Be quiet." Charlie warned him.  
  
"I'm really scared of a Weasley!" Malfoy laughed.  
  
"Maybe not, Draco, but I bet you're scared of a Weasley with a ten foot, fire-breathing dragon, trained to obey his command." Ron and Harry smirked at Malfoy, as he sulkily took a step backwards.  
  
"Anyways, Elle is it?" Elle nodded, "How do you fancy riding Riska?"  
  
Elle shook her head violently, "Nah, I don't like dragons."  
  
"Why not? She seems to like you." Charlie smiled at her. He was really cute, Elle thought.  
  
"Fine." She said. As she walked towards the golden dragon. People would kill for this opportunity, she thought, go for it!  
  
The dragon lowered her head to the floor and Elle froze. Her fear of dragons grew intensely.  
  
"Are you OK?" Charlie asked worriedly.  
  
"N.No-.I," Elle managed before she blacked out. 


	4. An unwanted surprise

1 Chapter 4 An unwanted surprise  
  
Elle woke up in the hospital wing that afternoon and freaked out. Madame Pomfrey came over to her bed to check her temperature and Elle stared at her and pushed her back a few feet every time she took a step forward. Madame Pomfrey got very confused that an unknown force was pushing her backwards so she walked off and sent an owl to Dumbledore asking him to get down here straight away.  
  
When she turned and looked back at Elle's bed she was gone.  
  
"What is it Madame Pomfrey?" Dumbledore asked from the doorway.  
  
"It's that new girl, Elle. I think she's a little crazy." Madame Pomfrey explained.  
  
"What makes you say that?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Whenever I tried to get close to her, I got pushed back a few feet by this strange force."  
  
"She probably just doesn't like hospitals." Dumbledore replied.  
  
"But she didn't have a wand." Madame Pomfrey explained, confused.  
  
"She doesn't need one. She is a High Witch." Madame Pomfrey eyes widened.  
  
"I thought they didn't exist anymore."  
  
"So did I," Dumbledore explained, "Until I meet Elle. She got expelled from her last Muggle school for making all the windows in he school break." Madame Pomfrey nodded while Dumbledore explained, "I am sorry Madame, I must dash. Goodbye."  
  
"Goodbye." She replied and went back into her office. Neville Longbottom who was lying in a bed nearby, because of an accident in potions, heard it all and now knew how everything slotted into place.  
  
When he got out of the hospital wing, the next day, Neville found Ron and told him everything he had heard. Ron was amazed, "Wow." He said, "A High Witch, in our dormitories." Hermione, who was close by asked, "What's this about a High Witch?"  
  
Ron shushed her and nodded in the direction of Elle.  
  
"Elle?" Hermione asked surprised, "are you sure?"  
  
"Yeah," Neville explained excitedly, "I heard Dumbledore talking about her with Madame Pomfrey."  
  
Hermione made a face and walked out of the common room.  
  
"Hey!" shouted Ron, "where are you going?"  
  
"Library." She replied.  
  
"What a surprise." Ron muttered.  
  
  
  
When Hermione got to the library she found Harry already sitting there. She sat herself next to him, "What are you doing?" she asked him.  
  
"Nothing," he said trying to hide the fact that had indeed been doing something. He shut his book and went to put it back, trying to hide the front cover from Hermione.  
  
"What book is that?" she stood up after him and put her hand on the top of the book to see what it was. "High Witches, the facts?" she wasn't puzzled, "You've been speaking to Neville haven't you?" Harry nodded looking ashamed.  
  
"No need to look like that," she said, "I was just coming to read the same book."  
  
Harry smiled and they sat at a table and opened the book between them, looking behind every now and again, just in case.  
  
"High Witches are very rare," Hermione read, "They are born on the tenth moon of Arius, to muggle parents. They have no need for a wand, as their powers are much greater than that. Neither do they have any need for sleep as they do not need to rest. A High Witch can be identified by not only their incredible power, but also by dragons. They have excellent control and have a good communication with dragons and have a dragon shaped scar on the back of their left shoulder. "  
  
"This all makes sense," said Harry. He turned the page and a face came out of the page.  
  
"This information does not belong to you, boy. Never again shall you be called the boy who lived." Harry scared burned and the face gave an evil cackle before the book was slammed shut by Professor Snape.  
  
"This book should be in the restricted zone, how did you get hold of it?" He said with an evil glare.  
  
"But professor, I didn't get it from the restriction zone, I-" Harry begun before he was cut off by Snape grabbing his and Hermione's arm and taking him out of the library and to Dumbledore's office. 


	5. Dumbledore's warning

1 Chapter 5 Dumbledore's warning  
  
Harry and Hermione stood waiting for Dumbledore in his office, accompanied by Snape.  
  
Professor McGonagall burst into the room, which looked about as red as a beetroot. She looked like she was about to explode threw anger. Snape frowned at her and told her to wait until Dumbledore came. Harry and Hermione exchanged looks of bewilderment, neither of them knew how what they had done was so incredibly bad.  
  
Dumbledore came threw the door looking really disappointed. He shook his head and sat behind your desk.  
  
"You know that what you did was very wrong, don't you?" Dumbledore asked the two of them.  
  
Hermione spoke up, "But Professor, we don't know what was so wrong with it." Harry nodded in agreement.  
  
"The book you were reading was from the restricted zone. The books in there can hold very dangerous magic and even dangerous wizards. Stealing a book from that section is against school rules."  
  
Hermione looked at Harry encouraging him to speak out, which he did, "But Professor, I didn't steal it from the restricted zone, it was in a regular bookcase."  
  
"I don't believe you would lie to me, so I will you let you off that offence," Snape's face seemed to fall, as Dumbledore continued, "but you are also here to discuss what that book was saying."  
  
Harry looked upset at this idea.  
  
"Harry, I believe this happened more than once?" Dumbledore asked. Hermione frowned, confused and stared at Harry. She wasn't going to ask him why he hadn't told her, in front of all these teachers because it was probably personal, but she was surely going to ask him when they got out.  
  
"Yeah," Harry mumbled.  
  
"You should have told me, Harry," Dumbledore advised, "I fear this is another of Voldemort's rise."  
  
Hermione, Professor McGonagall and Harry all gasped.  
  
"I think we could use young Miss. Petersons help." Dumbledore told them. 


	6. A long awaited confronation

1 Chapter 6 A long awaited confrontation  
  
Hermione and Harry were wondering how they would get Elle to help them bring Voldemort down, when they bumped into her on their walk back to the Griffindor common room.  
  
"Hey you guys, I was looking for you two. Where have you been?" Elle asked chirpily.  
  
"Don't want to talk about it," Harry replied sulkily and walked past her and into the common room.  
  
Elle looked questioningly at Hermione. Hermione sighed, "I guess I better tell you." Hermione led Elle into the common room and through into their dorm and told her the entire story.  
  
"Did you know you were a High Witch?" Hermione asked Elle.  
  
"No," she replied, "but I guess it makes sense. My parents always wanted to get my scar removed.  
  
"Why is Potter in such a bad mood, then? I thought he's the only one that you-know-who can't defeat."  
  
"Yeah, but don't forget this is the man that killed his parents. He's also upset that can't have one year at Hogwarts without you-know-who rising."  
  
"I can understand." She said.  
  
"So, will you help us?" Hermione asked. Elle wasn't sure she wanted to answer that so she looked into Hermione's eyes and concentrated until Hermione was soundly asleep.  
  
The next day was a Sunday, so there were no lessons to worry about. The gang were sitting outside on a bench, enjoying the early summer warmth. Until Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle showed up.  
  
"Hey Mudblood Elle," Malfoy smirked. Elle stood up and walked over to him. Her anger was obviously present on her face.  
  
"What the hell did you just call me?" Elle practically growled. Malfoy's finally gonna get what he deserves, Hermione thought.  
  
"Mudblood Elle." Malfoy replied happily.  
  
"What the hell is a mudblood?" Elle asked angrily as Malfoy began to rise in the air. Malfoy obviously began to get scared at this point and Crabbe and Goyle ran away.  
  
"Umm.S-.Someone with non-magical parents." He replied, his voice shaking.  
  
"Oh right," she said angrily, "How is that a bad thing?" Malfoy began to rise higher.  
  
"Miss. Peterson!" Yelled Professor McGonagall from quite a way away. Elle spun round and Malfoy fell to the ground with a nasty bump.  
  
"Yes, Professor McGonagall?" Elle asked sweetly.  
  
"Stop lifting Mr. Malfoy up!" Professor McGonagall shouted. Elle turned around and Malfoy was gone.  
  
"What Mr. Malfoy?" Elle asked innocently. Professor McGonagall shook her head and walked off.  
  
Elle turned back to Harry, Hermione and Ron and shrugged as if she didn't know what Professor McGonagall was on about. All four of them burst into uncontrollable laughter.  
  
Charlie walked past their bench and found Ron crying, because he was laughing so hard.  
  
"What's so funny?" Charlie asked, confused. Ron shook his head at him and finally managed to stop laughing.  
  
"You had to be here," he told his brother, "Why are you still here?"  
  
"Been asked by Dumbledore to give Elle flying lessons." He replied.  
  
Elle's laughter stopped suddenly and her face became serious.  
  
"What?" she demanded.  
  
"Yes, it's true. On order of the Ministry of Magic, apparently." He told her.  
  
"But I can't ride dragons," she told him urgently.  
  
"Yeah," he replied, "that's why I'm gonna teach you."  
  
"No," she repeated, "I CANT RIDE DRAGONS!" She wiped away a tear and ran off. Hermione got up and shrugged at Charlie before running after Elle.  
  
"What was all that about?" Charlie asked Ron and Harry.  
  
"I'm not too sure." Ron replied. 


	7. A secret revealed

1 Chapter 7 A secret revealed  
  
When Hermione found Elle she was sobbing into her pillow in the dormitories. Parvati kept trying to get close enough to sit on the end of her bed and ask her what was wrong, but couldn't manage it as she kept being slid backwards. In the end she gave up and said to Hermione, "You can try now."  
  
Hermione got her wand out and said, "Reversi spacai!" She managed to sit on the end of Elle's bed and touch her left shoulder before she was thrown against the wall. Elle turned and faced her, her face was tear stained and sweaty.  
  
"Get lost, Hermione!" she shouted, "You can't solve everything, little miss know-it-all!"  
  
"Fine!" she shouted back, "But if you keep distancing yourself from your problems, you'll never get anywhere!"  
  
Hermione ran out of the dorm room and into the common room. Ron and Harry were waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. A tear was falling down her face and she wiped it off with the back of her hand.  
  
"What happened, Herm?" Harry asked.  
  
"I don't know," she mumbled and she sat down on the sofa in front of the fire. Ron and Harry sat down next to her.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ron asked sympathetically.  
  
Hermione sniffed and told them what had happened in the dorm.  
  
"I dunno what's wrong with her, but her left shoulder was burning hot."  
  
"Herm?" Elle asked from the bottom of the stairs, her face was washed but her eyes were still red. Hermione smiled sympathetically. Elle walked over to were the three were sitting and gestured an old chair to move in front of the sofa, which it did. She sat in it and apologised to Hermione. "I'm real sorry Herm. I just got all emotional. Still friends?"  
  
Hermione nodded and smiled.  
  
"Care to share?" Ron asked.  
  
"I suppose I ought to." She said reluctantly, "Before I came to Hogwart's I went to a magic school over in Ireland, I flew over there every year. That wand shop, Olivander's couldn't find a wand to suit me so I just went without one. The school didn't like me not having a wand, so just like Snape, they wouldn't let me join in any practical work. The best thing about that school was the fact that they owned two dragons, me and my sister, Sal adored them and Care of Magical Creatures was my favourite lesson, because you didn't really need a wand to join in. My teacher for that lesson said I was her favourite student, because I had a natural thing with the dragons, Rusty and Candrell. Sal and I were twins, so we were in the same year and we shared Care of Magical Creatures, just like we do with Slytherin. In one of our lesson our teacher decided that we would learn to fly the dragons. I was really excited because I loved the dragons and I was really proud of my dragon shaped scar, the other girls bullied me about it, but I thought it was cool. Any way my sister was chosen to go first, I was really jealous because I wanted to go first. She was riding Rusty, who was a grey ridge-back kinda like Riska. The thing is there was this boy in my class, Jon who kinda fancied me and he had this power to sense other peoples emotions. He could sense that I was jealous of her but he didn't look deep enough to realise that I figured I'd get over it and I was proud of her, because I was so close to her. He thought that if he made my sister's flight not great and mine was good I would like him more. But he wasn't really in control of his power and he tried to make her not loose control Rusty a bit but instead when he set off a firework he scared Rusty so much he dropped my sister and she died instantly." Tears rolled down Elle's face.  
  
"No wonder you won't ride Riska," Ron said quietly.  
  
"Is that why you came to Hogwarts?" Harry asked. Elle shook her head. "No, in one of my lessons the girls in my class were bullying me so much that I couldn't do any magic so to prove I could I went to smash the window behind them. But I was so angry I ended up smashing all the windows in a five mile radius."  
  
"Woah," Ron said.  
  
"You've got to remember it was Jon, who caused your sister to fall, not the dragon." Hermione contributed.  
  
"I know that, I just can't bring myself to believe it." She buried her face in her hands as she began to cry more. Hermione moved to the arm of the chair Elle was sat it and reassuringly cuddled her. Elle shrugged her off and gently moved her back into her seat.  
  
"Are you going to help us?" Harry asked.  
  
"It doesn't look like I have a choice." She said and smiled feebly.  
  
2 


End file.
